Hydraulic scraper



Au 8, 1933. e. E. DEAN HYDRAULIC SCRAPER Filed April 27, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 1 nuenTor Gem (1 I. Dam

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Au 8, 1933. G DEAN 1,921,221

HYDRAULI C S CRAPER Filed April 27. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug.8, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HYDRAULIC SCRAPER George E. Dean,Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to Charles G. Willett, Grand Rapids, Mich.

This invention relates generally to road scraping mechanism and is moreparticularly concerned with means for operating the scraper blade to andfrom its operating position.

As set forth in my application for Road grader,

Serial No. 506,152, filed January 2nd, 1931, hydraulic means may beutilized to both lower and raise the scraper blade but this has someobjectionable features, as, for instance, the expense of manufacturing adouble acting cylinder and piston and hence, in the instant application,I replace the more or less complicated double action cylinder mechanismwith a single acting unit combined with a novel spring return means. Itis also to be noted that I provide lever means for expedientlyinstalling the spring which connects to the scraper blade to lift thescraper blade from its operative position, this spring necessarily beingof very stout construction.

Another feature of my invention resides in my method of supporting thecross channel upon the frame members of the truck. These side membershave depending brackets which support parallel bars, as set forth in mypatent application filed September 23rd, 1929, Serial No. 394,- 408, andalso have curved outwardly extending bars which lie in the samehorizontal plane as the parallel bars. Strap members are rigid with thechannel which carries the scraper blade mechanism and these strapsextend over the curved bars, thus supporting the scraping mechanism.Thus the cross channel member is supported by two separate and distinctmeans, the one being permanently attached thereto and the other beingadjustably attached to the parallel bars as set forth in my precedingpatent application. This double support makes for ease of adjusting thecross channel member, especially when the scraping mechanism is used ontrucks having very low frames.

Another feature lies in my flexible dust arrester which surrounds theconnecting rod and thus prevents dust from entering into the cyltop sideof the cross channel member and pistons which operate in these cylindersare connected to the scraper blade whereby they may be pushed tooperative position or retracted therefrom. The downward movement of thepiston pushes the blade to operative position and a spring, previouslyreferred to, withdraws the blade upwardly and consequently returns thepiston to the upper part of the cylinder. Hydraulic pressure means abovethe piston causes its actuation downwardly to operate the scraper bladeto its operative position.

In the drawings and specification, which illustrate a preferredembodiment of my invention as required by the patent statutes, a doublearrangement of parts is shown, there being two scraper blades, twomoldboards, two sets of double torsion springs and two rock shaftsactuated by two hydraulically operated cylinderpiston arrangements, butit is to be understood that my invention is equally applicable to asingle unit of this character. Or, if desired, three or more units maybe utilized.

The above and more specific objects hereinafter appearing are attainedby, and the invention finds preferable embodiment in the structurehereinafter particularly described in the body of this specification andillustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the chassis on a truck equipped with anoscillatable cross beam, this cross beam carrying the hydraulic meanswhereby the scraper blades may be adjusted.

Fig. 2 is a view in cross section, this view bea ing taken along theline 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the truck, this view being broken away in partin order to expedite the showing.

Fig. 4 is a view taken in the direction indicated by the arrow A, ofFig. 3, this view illustrating the control valve and gauges for theactuation of the scraper blade mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a side view of one of the hydraulic cylinders with the levermechanism for supporting the tension springs for the scraper blade.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken through one of the hydrauliccylinders and its pistons, this figure clearly showing the flexible dustarrester.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 10 indicates the side members of thetruck or vehicle upon which the scraping mechanism is mounted, andbrackets or hangers 11 are bolted to and depend from these side members.See 1, 2 and 3. The hangers 11 support spaced parallel bars 12, thesebars slidably receiving hook members 13 therebetween, which in turncarry the main cross channel supporting beam 15, and these hangers alsosupport curved bars 14, these bars being bent concentrically about theaxis of rotation of the cross channel member 15. Strap members 16 arerigidly attached to the upper side of the channel member 15 and extendover the curved bars, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and hence permit thecross channel member 15, which carries the scraping blade mechanism, tooscillate with respect to the truck, as illustrated by the dotted lineshowing of Fig. 1.

From the above description it will be seen that by loosening the hookmembers 13 the cross channel member 15 and its dependent structure, maybe adjusted to assume a position crosswise of the truck as desired.Then, by tightening the hook members 13 the cross channel is rigidlyheld in the chosen position. The strap members 16 ride upon the curvedbars 14 during the adjusting operation.

The cross channel 15 carries brackets 20 which receive the rock shafts21, these rock shafts being in alinement with each other and alsosimilar in construction except that one is righthand and the other isleft-hand. Double torsion springs 22 are rigidly connected to the rockshafts in the usual manner and these springs in turn support moldboards23 and these moldboards in turn support the scraper blades 24. See Figs.2 and 3.

Cylinders are mounted upon the cross channel 15 at either end thereofand as these cylinders are substantially duplicates of each other onlyone will be described in detail. The cylinder 30 is threadedly engagedin a base plate 31, see Fig. 6, and a hooked bolt 81 holds one edge ofthe base plate 31 to the channel member 15. Bolts 32, see Fig. 5, extendthrough the feet of the fulcrum members 35 and then through the baseplate 31 and next through the Web of the cross channel 15 therebyholding these parts in assembled relationship.

A U-shaped lever 36 is pivoted as at 37 upon the upper end of thefulcrum member 35 and the curved end of this U-shaped member has a holetherethrough whereby fastening means may be inserted therein and alsothrough a vertical bracket member 38, rigidly connected to the channelmember 15 as at 39, to thereby maintain the lever 36 in a substantiallyhorizontal position, whereby the spring 40 will be tensioned for thepurposes to be set forth. Also, in passing, the U-shaped lever 36surrounds the cylinder 30 and protects or guards it from being struckinadvertently.

The moldboards 23 have brackets 41 thereon, see Fig. 2, and a pin 42extends through these brackets and also through the lower ends of thesprings 46 thereby attaching the lower ends of these springs to thescraper blade.

Springs 46 must be installed under considerable tension in order thatthey may have power enough to pull the scraper blade and the moldboardto an inoperative position and also to return the piston 60 to its upperposition, and by means of the lever mechanism just set forth thisinstallation is easily had. Such is accomplished by turning the U-shapedlever 36 to the position shown in Fig. 5, whereby its ends are lowered,thus facilitating the attachment of the springs 40 thereto. Next theother closed end of the lever 36 is pulled downwardly and attached tothe upper end of the bracket member 38, the several parts assuming theposition shown in Fig. 3. During this installation it is necessary tohave the moldboard and scraper biade in their upper or inoperativeposition.

Each rock shaft 21 has a crank member 45 extending therefrom, see Figs.2 and 3, and a connecting rod 46 is pivotally attached thereto andextends upwardly into the cylinder 36, being pivotally attached to thepiston by means of the wrist pin 61. The piston 60 is equipped with cupleathers 62 as clearly shown in Fig. 6. A flexible dust arrester 63 isattached around the upper end of the connecting rod 46 and extendsloosely downwardly therearound, the lower end of this flexible fabricbeing held in place by the snap ring 64 which fits into a groove in thebase plate 31. The cylinder 30 has a cap 65 and an inlet pipe 66 leadstherefrom, this inlet pipe furnishing the pressure fluid whereby thepiston 69 is forced downwardly. A conduit 66 leads from each of thecylinders 30 and valves 67 are positioned at the ends of these passages66. A cross fitting 68 has connections with the other side of saidvalves.

Suitable pressure gauges 70, see Fig. 4, indicate the pressure which isactually being applied to either of the scraper blades. One of the tworemaining ports of the cross fitting 68 has a conduit '71 leadingtherefrom to the electrically operated pump '72, this pump being of anysuitable type and being driven by the electric mofor '73, usuallymotivated by the storage battery of the automobile, (not shown), and acheck valve '74, see Fig. 1, maintains the pressure in the cylinders.The remaining port of the cross fitting 68 leads back'to the inlet pipeof the pump to a connection '76, having a release valve '77.

The operation of these hydraulic means is easily understood. The motor'73 operates the electric pump 72 thereby furnishing fluid pressurethrough the pipe '71 and the check valve '74. Thus, assuming the valves67 to be open, this pressure fluid is carried to the upper side of thepistons 60 in the cylinders 30 and thus these pistons are forceddownwardly thus turning the rock shafts about their respective axes.

and pushing the scraper blade downwardly to their operative positions.Also, during this downward movement the several springs 40 are extendedand tensioned and hence, when the pressure is afterwards released, as byopening desire to protect my invention as set forth in the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a beam, a cylinder mounted thereon, a scraper bladepivotally mounted. upon the beam, a piston'operatively associated withsaid cylinder, means to operate the piston in one direction,connectingmeans between the piston and the blade whereby actuation of the pistonby the aforesaid means causes the scraper blade to move in onedirection, a fulcrum member mounted upon the beam, a lever pivoted uponsaid fulcrum member, a spring connected at one end to the end of saidlever and at the other end to the scraper blade and means for fasteningthe other end of said lever at a chosen point whereby the spring isplaced under the desired tension.

2. A combination of elements as set forth in claim 1 but furthercharacterized by the fact that the lever pivoted upon the furcrum memberpartly surrounds the cylinder thereby serving as a guard therefor.

3. In combination, a horizontal cross beam, a scraper blade pivotallymounted below and upon said cross beam, a vertical cylinder having aclosed upper end mounted upon cross beam, a piston mounted in saidcylinder, means connecting the pistonand the blade whereby movement ofthe piston causes corresponding movement of the blade, fulcrum membersattached to the cross beam and extending upwardly on either side of thecylinder, a U-shaped guard member having pivotal connections near itsends to the upper ends of said fulcrum members, springs extending fromthe ends of said U-shaped guard member downwardly and being fastened tothe scraper blade and means for holding the curved end of the U-shapedmember against upward movement.

4. In combinaion, a beam, a cylinder mounted thereon, a scraper bladepivotally mounted upon the beam, a piston operatively associated withsaid cylinder, means to operate the piston in one direction, connectingmeans between the piston and the blade whereby actuation of the pistonby the aforesaid means causes the scraper blade to move in onedirection, a spring connected at one end to the scraper blade and meansfastened to the other end of the spring for tensioning and fastening thesame.

5. In a device of the character described, a cross beam having anopening therethrough, a scraper blade, means for pivotally mounting thescraper blade upon the cross beam, hydraulic means including a verticalcylinder mounted over said opening, a piston and a connecting rod forturning the blade downwardly about its pivot to working or operativeposition, said connecting rod extending through the said opening andspring means for returning the blade to its upper inoperative position,said spring means also returning the hydraulic means to its initialposition.

6. In a device of the character described, a cross beam, a scraperblade, a rock shaft for pivotally mounting the scraper blade upon thecross beam, a base plate having an opening therethrough, fastening meansfor attaching the base plate rigidly to the cross beam, a cylinderrigidly mounted on said base plate around said open ing and extendingvertically upward, a piston 100 located in said cylinder, a connectingrod pivotally connected to and extending downwardly from said piston,means rigidly extending from said rock shaft, said lower end of theconnecting rod being pivoted onto the last mentioned means 105 wherebymovement of the piston causes movement of the rock shaft and springmeans for returning the blade to its upper inoperative position.

